Torrance, CA tap water
Supplied mostly by Torrance-City, Water Dept., plus 2 other utilities. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Ammonia
0.41–0.66 ppm (Worth knowing)
Typical 0.52 ppm
Ammonia in the water as delivered. A cycled filter clears it within a day; a big water change in a new or very small tank adds more of it at once.
From California Water Board lab results (2023–2026).
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From California Water Board lab results (2024–2026).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figureUp to 2.9 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Torrance-City, Water Dept.; California Water Board lab results (2023–2026).
Copper at home taps
Up to 0.02 ppm (Low)
Typically not detected
Not detected in testing. Water that sits in household pipes overnight can still pick some up.
From California Water Board lab results (2023–2026).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure82–511 ppm
Typical 234 ppm
Hard. Ideal for livebearers and African cichlids. Soft-water species may struggle to breed.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Torrance-City, Water Dept.; California Water Service Co. - Dominguez's calcium and magnesium readings; California Water Service Co. - Herm/Redo's calcium and magnesium readings (2023–2026).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure68–200 ppm
Typical 106 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From the utility that supplies yours: Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies Torrance-City, Water Dept.; California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies California Water Service Co. - Herm/Redo (2023–2026).
pH
7.7–8.5
Typical 7.9
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From California Water Board lab results (2023–2026).
Total dissolved solids
214–1100 ppm
Typical 490 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From California Water Board lab results; Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal., which supplies California Water Service Co. - Dominguez (2023–2026).
- Torrance-City, Water Dept. adds phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
- Torrance-City, Water Dept. softens its water at the plant, so it may be softer than the local groundwater.
Who supplies Torrance, CA
Torrance-City, Water Dept.
Serves 73% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
California Water Service Co. - Dominguez
Serves 23% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
California Water Service Co. - Herm/Redo
Serves 7% of residents · Buys water from Metropolitan Water Dist. of So. Cal. · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
Tap water lookup covers US cities only for now. Want to know why it matters? Read our story on tap water.
Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.